Super Monkey Ball Revisited...The Mystery and The Madness

[Fierce_LiNk]

So, Banana Blitz was a game that I had often slated in the past. For some reason, when I purchased it on launch day, it just seemed to lack something. Needless to say, the multiplayer seemed to play like a camel trying to run without any legs, and rolling uphill. Yes, uphill.

 

Anyway, recently, my housemates wanted to play something on my Wii, which I have placed in the living room. They seemed a bit bored of WiiSports, so I suggested they try Monkey Ball. One of my housemates looked pretty bored as her boyfriend was sucking at Wii Baseball, so I think it might liven things up.

 

In it goes, I loaded Banana Blitz up. About five minutes later, they're both on the edge of their seats, taking turns, failing, but trying. Lots of Wiimote tilting, and cursing, but it's fun to watch.

 

I took the wiimote off them, had another go, and it seemed a lot more fun than I remembered. I played for a bit longer, and I'm doubting exactly why I didn't enjoy this in the first place.

 

Basically, I think it's all in the multiplayer. Sega tried to do too much here, and as a result, it just didn't come off. There were too many games added, but without enough thought being put into them to make them fun or playable.

 

The crazy thing is, this is actually a very good game. Single player wise, minus the boss fights, this works like a dream with the controls. Maybe this was released too early on for many people to take notice, but I'm definitely going to give this another chance.

 

What are your thoughts on it?

[spirited away]

I traded this in within a few days of purchasing it. Granted, it was fun in multipayer with a few mates round, but I Just found that among the myriad of minigames there was a high percentage of dud games that just weren't enjoyable for any extended periods of time. I think you summed up my thoughts well in your penultimate paragraph.

[nekunando]

Back in the early Wii days, I picked up Need For Speed: Carbon because I wanted a racing game on Wii and was too impatient to wait on ExciteTruck.. but in the end, that is what I did because after a few days I just wasn't getting any enjoyment from the game with it's cheesy cutscenes and less than exciting racing

 

I decided to take it back and was lucky enough to be able to swap it for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.. or, at least, I thought I was. As I played the game, the single player was quite decent with some nice levels and the controls felt fresh and responsive. However, my main problem with the game was something that has plagued the series after the superd first game on the Gamecube.. Luck

 

There were too many levels that rewarded luck rather than skill which could make them game very frustrating to play (especially considering that you had to beat the stages without losing a life if you wanted to really consider it 'complete' and to unlock the final worlds ) ..you'd be playing through a few stages and then you come to one and wonder if you'll make it or if you'll have to go back and start it all again!

 

The multiplayer games were absolutely pathetic.. really disappointing In the end, I finished World 10 or 11 but couldn't unlock past that due to the amount of anger the game was instilling in me- it seemed very unfair and it didn't seem to matter how good I was at it, it wasn't a factor in many of the stages!

 

The game got traded in a few months later for £18 (I knew that it would be a good price for it as I felt that if I ever fancied playing it again, I'd pick it up in a few years for a tenner or below ) and I have never regretted offloading it.

 

Super Monkey Ball on the Gamecube was superb and I had a great time playing it but all the sequels have felt poor in comparison (although I did quite enjoy Touch & Roll which came with my DS Lite : peace:)

[Cube]

There were one or two decent multiplayer games.

 

In single-player, the controls were fine but the levels seemed very dull and bland (especially compared to the first two, which had a ton of cool levels. Like that Guitar one) and it just wasn't fun to play.

[mcj metroid]

So, Banana Blitz was a game that I had often slated in the past. For some reason, when I purchased it on launch day, it just seemed to lack something. Needless to say, the multiplayer seemed to play like a camel trying to run without any legs, and rolling uphill. Yes, uphill.

 

Anyway, recently, my housemates wanted to play something on my Wii, which I have placed in the living room. They seemed a bit bored of WiiSports, so I suggested they try Monkey Ball. One of my housemates looked pretty bored as her boyfriend was sucking at Wii Baseball, so I think it might liven things up.

 

In it goes, I loaded Banana Blitz up. About five minutes later, they're both on the edge of their seats, taking turns, failing, but trying. Lots of Wiimote tilting, and cursing, but it's fun to watch.

 

I took the wiimote off them, had another go, and it seemed a lot more fun than I remembered. I played for a bit longer, and I'm doubting exactly why I didn't enjoy this in the first place.

 

Basically, I think it's all in the multiplayer. Sega tried to do too much here, and as a result, it just didn't come off. There were too many games added, but without enough thought being put into them to make them fun or playable.

 

The crazy thing is, this is actually a very good game. Single player wise, minus the boss fights, this works like a dream with the controls. Maybe this was released too early on for many people to take notice, but I'm definitely going to give this another chance.

 

What are your thoughts on it?

 

i fucking HATED this game.. so so much.

 

Now i'll admit I haven't revisted it like you but I will start at the beginning

..

The gamecube games are among my favourite games for multiplayer ever. I STILL play them now and again with friends. Both super monkey ball 1 and 2 were good for different reasons.

 

1 allowed for some competitve 1 player missions..You had to complete these on 1 player first however, A little flaw to it but having a race to get to the finish together was a fantastic idea which was strangely ommited from the second one..In the second one you had to take turns... nah.

The first one had a very good race mode but the monkey target wouln't be as good as the second one because you would have to take turns and it was too damn fast.

 

 

The second monkey ball allowed for some more depth in the puzzles. Twice as many multiplayer games.. yes some were complete shit like monkey rowing,boring but nice graphics like monkey shot... but the monkey target makes this game so much better.. honestly.. they could honestly release this on it's own it's so good.

 

Now banana blitz managed to fuck up EVERYTHING that was good about the first 2. We'll start with the good.

it had a very good graphical style. The controls work well in the 1 player game and the single player mode is quite good and adding a jump was a stroke of genius.

but now you must see the problem here. I said monkey ball series was a fantastic multiplayer series so what of the multiplayer in this game?

 

It's so bad it's not funny..Some games are broken. They fucked monkey target up so much and they ..changed the way you hold the wiimote in the race mode in the mutiplayer,than you would in the single.. it feels awful.

The race feels smaller and has the same music for every track.. An afterthought..

 

it's simple.. a fun single player,, an awful multiplayer.. basically I would have given this game 68% or something but reviewers went all "sonic and the secret rings" on it and completely overated it.

[Patch]

Super Monkey Ball is one of my favourite series of all time.

 

Banana Blitz is great. It's refreshingly different in presentation to the previous games, though I had no problem with the old style. Mini-games-wise, it's entertaining enough and we still play it even now.

 

It's the Single Player mode that I'm always most interested in though. I've completed every floor up to the end of World 8. You have to complete all Worlds individually without using a continue to unlock World 9 and if it wasn't for the boss battle on World 8, I'd have easily done it by now. I just can't do it without dying loads of times. Has anyone here managed it? Anyone got a good strategy?

[nekunando]

Super Monkey Ball is one of my favourite series of all time.

 

Banana Blitz is great. It's refreshingly different in presentation to the previous games, though I had no problem with the old style. Mini-games-wise, it's entertaining enough and we still play it even now.

 

It's the Single Player mode that I'm always most interested in though. I've completed every floor up to the end of World 8. You have to complete all Worlds individually without using a continue to unlock World 9 and if it wasn't for the boss battle on World 8, I'd have easily done it by now. I just can't do it without dying loads of times. Has anyone here managed it? Anyone got a good strategy?

 

 

It was a long time ago that I done it.. and I can't remember what world I had got up to but I'm sure I was past 8

 

What was the boss?

[Patch]

It's been a long time since I played it, so the details are a bit vague. It takes place on a small circular platform that has sides initially, but loses them later on. He spins on the spot, sending you flying if you get too close. I think as he spins, you have to time your jumps over his arm (Or maybe he's holding a stick?). Later on, he jumps up and down, creating a small earthquake.

 

I think you hurt him by going behind him and hitting his bum. I can do it, but only after dying twenty or thirty times first! Which is no good for a no-continue run!